Letters: Work together to prevent youth violence

“Diiiiii-jon Annnnnnnnndersonnnnnnnnnn!” If I said the name once, I said the name 100 times. As the public address announcer for the Warren Central High School football team, I was used to calling this young man’s name dozens of times a game for tackles, interceptions, kick returns, and touchdowns. Reading through the local headlines about this incident, it would seem that football was the only thing that mattered. Don’t misunderstand: football afforded Dijon tremendous opportunities, including the ability to attend college on scholarship at Southern Illinois University in the Fall.

However, we as teachers, parents, coaches, mentors, and citizens need to realize that Dijon Anderson (and the young men that were casualties of this senseless act a few weeks ago) is so much more than a football player: He is our son. Even if their deaths and injuries did not affect you directly, the circumstances and motivations that led to this atrocity cut to the core of the worst parts of our society: gun violence, poverty, and lack of mentorship among our young people. As a longtime resident of the Eastside and English teacher at Warren Central, scenes like this play out all too often -- our families, students, and staff have already buried 4 students this school year alone -- and we cannot continue to believe that this is an Eastside problem or a Warren Central problem. This is an Indianapolis problem.

Undoubtedly, these issues will take more than flowery rhetoric and short-term “band-aid” political solutions, because it truly takes a village to raise our children. Unless everyone in our city starts waking up to the harsh inequities of unemployment, socioeconomic disparity, and gun violence, our village will continue to crumble. We must band together in all parts of our city to fix these issues, because these are our children.

Joseph McGowan

Indianapolis

Tax reform will help Indiana

At long last, it appears that lawmakers in Washington, D.C. are on the doorstep of real progress in pursuit of comprehensive tax reform – an effort now three decades in waiting.

Success would mean a tax code that’s more conducive to growth, more supportive of American enterprise, and more in line with the vision that we all hold for the future of our nation. That's great news for the United States, great news for Indiana, and great news for my hometown of Fishers, whose rapid growth in recent years would only be bolstered and strengthened under a tax code that makes it easier for businesses of all sizes to make their way.

For the last year or so, the tax reform process has rested largely within the realm of the House Committee on Ways and Means, chaired by Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas. Rep. Jackie Walorski of Indiana’s Second Congressional District also sits on Ways and Means. Working closely with Speaker Paul Ryan, allies in the White House, and tax and economic think tanks across the nation, Ways and Means crafted an important, meaningful starting point for the tax reform process known as the Brady Blueprint.

The Blueprint serves as a vital foundation for the reform debate. It reduces tax rates, makes the code much simpler for all taxpayers, and makes the United States more competitive with the rest of the world. Analysts at the Tax Foundation, for instance, expect that the measure would spur the creation of close to 2 million new jobs and add considerably to our gross domestic product, for instance. Ways and Means, in other words, spent the last year building the groundwork for the debate. But the White House’s release of its tax reform principles last month shifted the debate into overdrive.

The vote of confidence and the active engagement from the White House is a shot of adrenaline for the reform process, and provided that lawmakers and the White House can focus squarely trained on delivering a sound bill, it is more likely that the debate will move from the realm of the hypothetical to the tangible.

President Trump’s published lists of principles aren’t as robust as the Brady Blueprint, and they haven’t been developed in as great a detail. However, they share the Blueprint’s commitment to creating a level playing field for American companies and workers. They also share a commitment to making the code easier to navigate, and an initiative all Americans would appreciate.

The next stage in the effort is to encourage lawmakers and the White House alike to stick to those commitments and to remain focused on delivering comprehensive reform. We no longer can work off piecemeal revisions that have left us with an arcane tax code that impedes on economic growth and left our nation behind as other countries have adapted more competitive and efficient tax codes. Instead, we must work to push through the first major tax overhaul in thirty years. If they succeed, so do we, because all signs point to tax reform bringing serious benefits to consumers and businesses alike around the nation. Here in Indiana, according to the Tax Foundation, reform in the shape of the House Blueprint would result in the creation of just over 36,000 new full time jobs, and would add $4,523 to the after-tax income of the average taxpaying family. Furthermore, a simplified tax code means it will be easier to start small businesses, because working through our tax code, as a small start-up business can often be a daunting task. For central Indiana, a region that has thrived on being a hub for the creation of small businesses, this is an exciting opportunity to help further spur economic growth.

I understand, from my seat on the Fishers City Council, that the formulation and implementation of public policy is no small feat. It’s complex, it’s challenging, and there’s not always a single clear path forward. The challenges inherent to comprehensive tax reform are among the most vexing and demanding policy shifts conceivable given the ingrained nature of the current code and the politically fraught nature of upending the status quo.

Difficult as it may be, though, I have confidence in our elected officials to continue to push forward and deliver a better, more competitive tax code for Hoosiers and our nation.

Eric Moeller

Fishers City Council

Indiana leads way on education reform

Indiana has become a nationwide example of the positive academic and economic outcomes that can come from giving parents more options in their children’s education.

That’s why it’s fitting that this week, more than 400 policymakers, advocates and business leaders from across the nation will convene in Indianapolis for the American Federation for Children national policy summit, an opportunity to celebrate victories in education reform and discuss how to bring school choice success stories — like those found in Indiana – to more children across the country.

These critical conversations come at a time in which momentum for expanding educational choice has never been more robust. At present, there are 50 private school choice programs in 25 states and the District of Columbia, 44 states with public charter schools, and 68 percent of voters, irrespective of party affiliation, support school choice, according to a recent poll from the Democratic firm Beck Research.

With the prospect of nationwide school choice expansion on the table, Indiana has emerged as a success model that other states hope to replicate. The Hoosier State not only boasts the most expansive school choice programs in the country, but also the highest quality. Education experts rank Indiana’s school voucher program — based on criteria such as student eligibility, scholarship amounts, program size and accountability — in the top three in America, and our tax credit program — a distinctly Hoosier version of the federal proposal being considered — ranks among the top 10.

But most importantly, Indiana’s school choice programs are delivering on their promise of creating life-changing educational opportunities for some of our state’s neediest children. Nearly 44,000 Hoosier kids now attend the private school of their parent or guardian’s choice — and that number continues to rise as more families take advantage of the opportunities available to them. The result is more students in the school that’s right for them, more parents that are empowered by their ability to decide their child’s future and a stronger culture of accountability and excellence for Indiana schools — whether traditional public school, public charter school, virtual learning, private school, home school, blended learning or methods not yet imagined.

Indeed, it’s no surprise that since Indiana brought school choice and other education reform efforts to the forefront, student achievement is on the steady and upward rise. The number of Indiana schools receiving an “A” grade from the state increased from 856 in 2012 to 1,130 two years later, or that failing schools decreased from 144 to 94 in the same span of time. What’s more, the state has enjoyed increases in the number of students passing ISTEP+, participating in and passing Advanced Placement courses, and graduating from high school, according to the state education department.

Antonio, a sixth-grader at a Catholic school on Indianapolis’ Near Eastside, is one such student who has unlocked his potential as the result of choice-driven reform. When Antonio first started school, he only spoke Spanish, so he had to learn to speak, read and write English well after his peers. After accessing the Indiana Choice Scholarship, Antonio is now thriving. He prides himself on being one of the most focused students in his classes and his strong relationships with his teachers. What’s more, he says his school is fair, safe environment — a place where he feels supported and encouraged to flourish.

Every child deserves to have the same experience as Antonio. And while all Hoosiers should be proud of the gains we’ve made and the reputation for innovation we have forged, we cannot rest on our laurels. There are literally millions of kids who stand to benefit from a federal tax credit scholarship program today. But as we learned firsthand from our work to bring school choice to Hoosier kids, change is hard. And historic change — true and systemic reform — in the face of an immovable establishment can feel impossible unless we work together. It’s our duty to unlock access to the world-class education our country’s children deserve.

Fred S. Klipsch

Founder, Hoosiers for Quality Education, the Institute for Quality Education and the Network for Quality Education

Protect the Endowment for the Arts

May is such an important time in Indianapolis. Not only are we, as a community, able to rally behind and celebrate the largest, single-day sporting event in the world, we have an opportunity to appreciate the fertile grounds of collaboration fostered by our city. Welcome Race Fans: The Arts Celebrate the Indy 500, the partnership between the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Arts Council of Indianapolis to connect art and artist to the historic race is just one of the many ways that the arts are integrated into our daily lives.

The Arts Council of Indianapolis reaches across sectors to build partnerships that benefit the Indianapolis community as a whole, and through innovative initiatives such as the Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship Program, the Transformational Impact Fellowship, and the arts education program Any Given Child in partnership with IPS, the Arts Council works each day to build the community through the arts. Partnerships within the education, business, and civic communities allow the arts to have a deep, lasting impression on the identity of our city and provide a profound economic impact on our city’s prosperity to the tune of $384 million annually.

Communities across America have a stake in the arts. According to Americans for the Arts, 4.8 million Americans work in arts and culture industries. Additionally, the arts generate $22.3 billion in federal, state, and local government revenue.

The major driver of arts initiatives across the country is the National Endowment for the Arts. The NEA is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts.

We want to make sure that Senators Donnelly and Young know that, in Indiana, in 2016 alone, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) awarded a total of $1,232,200 in grant money to 22 nonprofit and governmental arts organizations. These grants worked to enhance access to the arts for all, especially in underserved rural and inner-city areas. Of this NEA funding, over $780,000 went to Indiana Arts Commission. The state then matched these federal funds and awarded grants to 126 arts organizations in 31 communities across Indiana.

The NEA’s goals are fulfilled primarily through direct grants, reviewed and recommended by panels of citizen experts, to arts organizations across the country. NEA grants provide a significant return on investment of federal dollars with $1 of NEA direct funding leveraging up to $9 in private and other public funds, resulting in $500 million in matching support in 2016. Why? Because winning an NEA grant sends a clear message that the grantee is operating an impactful local program of top national quality.

In 2016 alone, the NEA recommended more than 2,400 grants in nearly 16,000 communities in every Congressional District in the country. What’s more, 40 percent of NEA-supported activities take place in high-poverty neighborhoods. Thirty-six percent of NEA grants go to organizations that reach underserved populations such as people with disabilities, people in institutions, and veterans. The NEA has been able to do all these things and more on a meager budget of $148 million.

President Trump’s proposed budget for FY 2018 calls for an elimination of the NEA, among other cultural agencies like the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Please don’t believe those dusty, old arguments to eliminate these cultural agencies because it would reduce the deficit or the size of government. We simply cannot afford to cut back on our federal investment in the arts and culture in this country. According to the latest news from U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis, the arts and culture contribute 4.23 percent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product. That’s $729 billion per year. It’s one of the very few economic industries that yield a trade surplus of $26 billion and generates 4.8 million American jobs that cannot be outsourced out of the country.

Can we afford to lose the profound impact of the NEA in our state, community, and schools?

The Arts Council of Indianapolis’ staff and board of directors believe the clear and compelling answer to this question is “No”.

Krista Skidmore

Board chair, Arts Council of Indianapolis

Dave Lawrence

President & CEO, Indianapolis Arts Council

Raise age to receive Social Security

President Trump and his extremely competent team of fiscal conservatives have, so far more than four months in office, failed to address one urgent problem: The age required for retirement under Social Security must be raised, at least to seventy, and quickly. The current system is simply not sustainable

The most reasonable solution, which would likely be tolerable to most voters, would be to raise the retirement age from sixty-five to seventy. Within a few years afterward, revenues would flow into the treasury at a higher rate from a larger work force and flow out considerably more slowly to fewer retirees.

That transition would require a few years in order to avoid undue disruption of retirement plans for those nearing retirement now, although the change should not come as a complete surprise for anyone who has been paying attention. Many retirees should be willing to work more of their most productive years and then enjoy larger benefit checks during their coming retirement. And, more than incidentally, it would quickly lower the deficit considerably.